Encountering Figure and Ground

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. - July 17, 2022 - PRLog -- The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts presents the work of artists Nell Chandler, Stacy Crabill and Evelyn Ward in a new show, Figure and Ground.

Jeweler Nell Chandler was inspired by the title of the show to go back through some boxes of old etched plates. She found a lot of little etched figures, sawed the figures out, soldered them to sterling earrings and embellished them with different metal shapes and textures. She has also been exploring different techniques in enameling for the past few years and has continued to do so for this show. "The more I explore the different techniques and colors through enameling, the bigger that world gets. I have always enjoyed the way that the title on a featured artist show can influence a new direction. I have enjoyed working with figures again - but in a brand new way."

Painter Stacy Crabill explains the title this way. "In the visual arts, the figure-ground relationship is the way we perceive objects in a work of art to be the object of focus (the figure) or the background (ground). This series of paintings continues to explore the theme of candy while also focusing on the relationship between figure and ground. I decided that the ground had to be created by repeating the figure in a variety of ways—perhaps by way of a silhouette, an outline, or text related to the figure. I find that I am most creative when I have fewer tools and I establish limitations. This series of work gave me room to play, think, and grow."

Potter Evelyn Ward's work for this show has been evolving in her studio over the winter. "As with everything in my work, it's been a slow evolution – refining forms, developing a few new slip colors – but always working within the same framework. In relation to the title of our show: Figure & Ground, I've been playing with the use of negative space, sometimes flipping the colors used on two pots and then seeing how that affects the overall pieces, especially in relation to each other. It's been an interesting and informative exercise. I hope you enjoy the new work that has surfaced these last couple of months!"

FIGURE AND GROUND will be in the gallery July 26 - August 21 with an opening reception on July 29 from 6-9pm.

About the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts:
Owned and operated by 21 artists, HGA represents these established artists exhibiting contemporary fine art and fine craft. The Gallery's offerings include painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, jewelry, glass, metals, and wood. 121 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Phone: (919) 732-5001. The gallery is open 10am-6pm Tuesday - Saturday, 12-4 on Sunday. More information can be found on the HGA website: www.HillsboroughGallery.com